Police, the East of England ambulance service, Lowestoft and Southwold lifeboats were all involved in searching for a man who “threatened to jump” into the sea about 3.30am this morning (Monday).

A Suffolk police spokesman said officers were contacted just before 3.30am by the ambulance service, who said a man in his early 40s had reported chest pains, was becoming aggressive and had threatened to jump into the water.

“An address in London Road South was given and officers attended,” the police spokesman said.

When the officers arrived at the home they found paramedic vehicles at the property but no sign of either the paramedics or the man.

“Officers then spotted a torchlight on the beach and received confirmation that the ambulance staff were trying to deal with the man who had now gone into the water close to the Claremont Pier,” the police spokesman said. The ambulance service alerted the coastguard and a lifeboat put up several flares when they arrived in a bid to locate the man.

“About 4.15am police searching on land found trainer prints on the beach and followed these. Around this time contact was also made with the man, who reported he was lost.”

Just before 4.30am the man was located by police in the Rectory Road area and ambulance staff attended to treat him.

The police spokesman added: “He was taken to the James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston and the coastguard and lifeboats were stood down.”

A spokesman for Lowestoft lifeboat said both lifeboat crews were alerted at 3.50am to assist police in searching for the man, who had been seen going into the sea near Marine Parade.

The Lowestoft lifeboat spokesman added: “The lifeboat crew searched for about 30 to 40 minutes, in very tranquil conditions as the sea was flat and calm.”

The crew used three searchlights and fired parachute flares in searching for the missing man, with the Southwold lifeboat arriving in Lowestoft just as the man was found in the Rectory Road area.

The lifeboats were stood down after the man was found, with Lowestoft lifeboat back in harbour at about 4.40am.